Yup. It means you can keep the music going in your head. It leaves it to your imagination. It's like ellipsis at the end of a sentence...
If I end on a single note that fades out, that's when I want there to be a clear cut. That's when I want the music to end. It's like a period at the end of a sentence.
It's "a lot" and not "alot". That's not a word. There is a word called "allot" but that's a different word entirely.
That said, India is one of those places I've never been to. I want to go to northern India but that has yet to happen. The closest I've been would be Nepal or Pakistan. As for Pakistan, I was in the good section of Lahore but the rest of the city was fucking horrible. That's where there were people literally shitting in the street.
I suppose it's sort of a matter of perspective and limited only to western (not country and western) music.
If you dive deep enough, you'll get into the microtonal realm. There are also some other ways of looking at music outside of the way we view it in the west. Music in the east doesn't fit our listening habits (more often than not) but is interesting in and of itself.
If you ever get the chance to play with a microtonal guitar, assuming you've not done so already, it'll either piss you off to no end or it will open up a bunch of new ways to think about music.
I find most folks that dive into a microtonal guitar give it up pretty quickly and resent their purchase.
Dinner is a bit late today, so I'll be a bit of a slacker and I'll return soon - probably...
So, this track is from early 2019. I don't really remember the motivation but I think it had something to do with using some classical techniques with the blues. Before you ask, yes it's just one guitar. No, it's not mixed with a 2nd guitar.
The thing is, you can probably pay the $50,000 over (if it's a good spec) and then turn around and sell it for even more than that.
Eventually, this settles down and dealer prices drop. Depending on the vehicle, they may drop completely to the sticker price. They may drop even lower.
For example, someone paid $100,000 for a Tesla Cybertruck. They then auctioned it for almost $200,000.
The prices for the Cybertruck kept dropping and now you can buy them for less than $80,000. A used one is $65,000 - and the person spent at least $100,000 on it.
It's fun even at slower speeds. Once you've learned the track, it's easier to pick up speed. You need to memorize the track to really go fast. A decision made in one corner can screw up your whole lap time, making you slow a half-dozen corners later. Knowing the optimal racing line is the key. A good race car driver will 'hit their marks' consistently. They'll be within an inch or two every lap, unless they're in traffic and need to pass someone.
We drove around to a couple of Chevy dealerships. Every Corvette on the lot was priced higher than sticker price as a 'dealer adjustment'. That includes the regular ol' C8. I refuse to pay more than sticker, but I'll happily pay the sticker price and pay it in cash. Well, put it on a credit card.
I'm not a huge Mustang fan, but the Dark Horse is of interest to me. I'd have to order it. I might do that and then it'll be here when I come back down. The Dark Horse isn't that powerful but it's fast and track focused.
So, there's that as an option.
I'll work on the C8 ZR1 when I'm back in Maine. I know some people, so I should be able to get it at the real price. I don't care how much I want a car. I will not pay more than sticker price for it. If they want to charge more than that, they can fuck off. I'll go without. There are a ton of great cars out there. I'll be fine without one of them.
Plus, if you screw up and slam the car into the wall, it's not your car! If you look at the school's cars, they're usually pretty worn and rundown. You won't be the first person to slam it into a tire barrier. If you go fast enough, you might be the last person to crash it.
They're usually pretty aware of their legal liabilities. This means they'll have a proper roll cage and a safety harness that is within spec. That and school cars aren't generally all that fast. I mean, they're faster than many road cars but not fast for cars you'll take on track.
Yeah, people damage their cars on track days with some regularity. It's going to happen if you're pushing to the limits of your ability. Not everyone out there is going to be smart about it.
This often ends up being a costly mistake. Technically, you can get your track car insured but it's expensive and is really just for liability. Your insurance will cover it if you take out someone else on the track.
This is why I often suggest taking classes. You can take classes and use the school's car on the track. This is actually more affordable. You spend a few hundred dollars getting lessons and a few hours on the track. Otherwise, you're buying a beat to hell Miata and spending $10,000 to get it to where it's worth driving on a track.
On top of that, you're learning. Many people, guys especially, think they'd be good at driving a race car on a track. After all, it doesn't look that hard and they have driven fast on the streets.
But, no... No, it's actually pretty difficult to drive on a track and to do it well. It's damned difficult. There's a reason why there are people who do it professionally. They do it because they're very good at it. They're exceptionally good at it. Today's professional drivers have often been competing since they were children.
So, getting some education is good. Going to racing schools will help you get that education and, more importantly, some practice. Then, you can find out (with time) if you really are any good at it. If you're any good at it, then take some more classes while saving up for a track car.
It'll be open so long as there's no snow but it'll be pretty dormant. Some driving schools may have lessons and they may have open track days. The thing is, it'll be 'cold'. It won't be cold by my standards but it'll be cold for racing.
A cold track and cold tires mean less grip. Hot tires (to a point) get much better grip. Being able to scrub your tires will also increase grip.
Here's a funny misconception for you...
When drivers are behind the safety car (or doing warm up laps) they're not going back and forth to heat their tires. They're going back and forth to scrub their tires - that is to roughen up the surface a little, giving the slick tires more grip as they pick up speed.
No, they're warming their tires by stabbing the brakes as they're swerving back and forth. You stab the brakes to get heat in the tire as it radiates out from the brake assembly.
Scrubbing your tires is only going to raise the temps to maybe 180°. The brakes rapidly heat up to as high as 3,000°. So, the radiating heat gets into the tires more quickly by stabbing the brakes.
But, the track will be open, more or less. It just won't have much of anything going on. Some teams may be using the track for testing. They'll have some driving school activities, They'll have track days and days when the track's rented out to clubs.
However, you can't count on optimal conditions. You can never count on optimal conditions, but you're less likely to have optimal conditions in the winter. It rains and there's sometimes a bit of snow.
I'm hoping they let me do formal timing at said track. A lot of tracks strictly forbid formal timing outside of actual races. The reasoning is that you'll drive faster and take more risks if you're trying to beat a time. So, you don't mount a transponder in the car and you don't get formal timing. You're not even allowed to have someone sitting on pit lane using a stop watch to keep track of your time.
I suppose that it is sound reasoning and that they have empirical data to back it up. After all, it's fairly common across many tracks. If you're not in a sanctioned race (and licensed to be in that race) then there's no timing allowed during track days or even during many track rentals.
If you want to do timed laps, you'll need to do things like pay for emergency personnel to be on site and have insurance. The insurane isn't to cover your loss, it's to cover any damage you do to the track. That's how some of the clubs I belong to have it set up, that way we can have transponders and do timed laps.
I might just be a bit high right now. I may have bumped into someone in the hotel bar who was obviously sniffling more than they should be, given their condition. They might have had some pretty sweet marching powder for sale and a willingness to let me get some. I might have bought an 8 ball. I might have flown back to VA with it in my suitcase. It was not a commercial flight and it did not leave the US. So, there's no security. The TSA has no power there.
Which is, as you know, one of the motivations to avoid commercial flight. It's just too much of a hassle to fly commercial these days. Plus, flying on planes is just too common these days. Once upon a time, you dressed up and were on your best behavior if you were flying on an airplane. Responsible parents didn't bring crying and smelly babies onboard. You didn't have to arrive 1.5 hours early to make it through security - security theater, really.
Right on the cusp, 6 to 8 months. I may wait to go take delivery until a month or two later so that I can take advantage of the track time more fully and with better odds of good weather.
She does indeed make delicious food. I ask her to cook now and then, but try not to do so too often. She usually volunteers, which is more my style of things.
We'll be back in VA on Wednesday. I submitted my order. I'll try to replicate it online so that you can see but we didn't do the order on the website but rather a back-end that I think is meant only for dealers and not the general public.
I have time to change my order, if I want. There's also some benefits to getting it delivered down here instead of back home. They've got like the Porsche Experience thing going on at a nearby track and they'll take you and your new car to the track. One of their professional drivers will do some coaching and you'll get to test your car out on a track.
It's a pretty sweet car, I hope. It's not too expensive with the trade-in.
I was able to watch the race, which was alright by me. We then went out on the town for a bit, though I was a passenger. By that time, I was over the limit.
I'm still over the limit, which is nice. We had Mexican food for dinner. It was pretty good. I can't get good Mexican food back home. I can't get good ethnic food of any kind, really. The only solution is to drive to get something 'acceptable' (but not great) or to make it myself.
I have one bottle that's open on ice and breathing, and a couple more in the fridge.
I also have most of a 12 pack of beer that's actually two six packs of mixed beers from a local company called Bold Monk. The beer is for the race tomorrow. The wine is for tonight.
I doubt I'll drink it all tonight, but I like to be prepared.
Next weekend is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tomorrow is IMSA's 4 hour race in Ohio. I would like to drive on said track, but I don't really like Ohio. If you've got out of state plates, they will stop you and give you a ticket.
I've never had a ticket but I've had employees who have and I've known at least a dozen other people who got tickets in Ohio. They all had out of state plates. They are one of the few states where the police literally have a quota and must write x-amount of tickets per month.
Even though people think police have a ticket quota, that's actually rather rare. Ohio is straight up proud of the fact.
You can get some great tones from a Gibson hollow body (some spell it as one word). But, like all hollow bodied guitars, you need to be aware of feedback. Hollow and semi-hollow bodied electric guitars have that space inside where it all resonates. This leads to feedback pretty quickly.
You get used to it and learn to not face the amps when you're near them and to keep the strings muted when you need to. Otherwise, you get feedback that's tough to tame.
My company actually did quite a bit of work for Georgia. The first project was sometime fairly early in my company's history. I want to say it was the early-90s when we did some modeling on said Redneck Raceway. We suggested that during peak traffic they would be wise to increase some areas to 10 lanes. Even though it would only be valuable during peak times, specifically during the hours around traditional commuting times, it would be beneficial by increasing throughput. It'd also be safer as those areas would have a variety of designations for the various slip roads around the place.
As I recall, they did about 80% of what we suggested and they'd eventually make the other changes.
They also had poor signage standards. We consulted on that, helping to create new standards for their highway department. In that case, I'd say they went a little overboard and ended up with more signs than necessary. You can still see the results of that. An easy example to spot is to drive along the highways and look at the side of the road as you approach an exit. They'll start placing signs very early and very often. This is unnecessary and can cause confusion.
People are easily overwhelmed when given too much information - and they're prone to ignoring things when they're fed a lot of information. If they see 10 signs saying there's an exit coming up, they'll stop paying attention to the signs - especially if the signs start well ahead of the exit.
Highway signs are fascinating.
Well, I realize that I'm in a very small group of people who thinks so. New York has some of the best signage.
There's everything from the color to the font, to the size and distance, and then there's the fascinating choice of fonts. All of those things go into how well highway markers and signs work.
I won't bore you with more of that. Suffice to say, I can talk about roads for a very long time. In fact, I've done just that. My company took all of those things, and more, into consideration. We'd validate the metrics and assign values to them. We'd then model that and make recommendations based on what we observevd and what we could predict.
Ah well...
You mentioned 'security'. Is that what you did at the time? Is that still what you do for a living?
I figured I'd at least entertain myself with the reply.
It's funny how people have such strong opinions on things they know nothing about. I have spent my lifetime learning, not just the guitar but many things. There are still things I don't know very well - so I don't have much of an opinion on those things.
I'm not sure why it's so hard for people to say the following:
"I am not qualified to hold an opinion."
If you're not qualified, don't opine. I will opine on matters I do understand but I'm quite comfortable admitting that there are things I just don't know.
I'll also happily say, "I don't have enough information to give you my thoughts on the matter. Let me spend some time learning about the subject and I'll get back to you."
Sadly, people like them not only vote but they also breed. Kids often end up a lot like their parents.
I'm also amused that they picked the piano. If you want a complicated instrument that is played like a piano, look at the old-fashioned pipe organs. (Which are awesome, for the record.) Even a modern organ is capable of being pretty complicated to play.
But, no... They picked the piano... The paino is one of the easiest instruments to learn. They might as well have picked the kazoo or harmonica.
Porsche's American HQ is here in Atlanta. I needed some service done, the scheduled 30,000 mile service.
Except, I'll be trading that in at this point. I managed to get an allocation for a GT3 RS and am working on the customization options over a few days. The existing 2015 GT3 RS (the one getting the service) is being traded in against the cost of the new one. They gave me a fantastic offer. They didn't want me to just pay in cash. They wanted to have the existing car for inventory.
Once I place the order, the car should be here in the US in 6 to 8 months. I've yet to place the order. I'll place the order with an initial configuration. I can change that configuration at any time up to 30 days before they start the build, but that's a hassle. I'd like to get it right the first time around.
And that's why I'm in Atlanta.
There's also the Redneck Racetrack. Basically, there are a number of cities that are 'Atlanta'. They're really different cities in one metro area.
Well, there's a ring road, a giant multi-lane highway that circles the city. If you go out at night, or early on a weekend morning, there's very little traffic and the cops do not care what you do, as long as you don't wreck. It's something fun to do with the loaner while I'm down here.
The loaner is just a 'poverty spec' 2024 911. It's still fun.
Also, I've never had my own custom ordered, brand new Porsche. The missus has a 2023 718 Boxter (fairly inexpensive and not a huge performance vehicle) but I have never owned my own new Porsche. I've cusstom ordered cars before but not from Porsche.
I'll also be ordering a new C8 ZR1 because they're awesome. They're also 'cheap' when you look at the features and performance you're getting. It's gasoline powered and RWD - but still can do 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds. They come with over 1,000 HP - from the factory.
I will definitely be ordering one. I didn't like the C4, C5, or C6 Corvette models that much. The C7 and C6 are amazing. They even have a good interior, which is surprising. No more cheap plastic all over the place.
Erf...
It's your fault. This is a long reply because you asked why I was here. I'm here for car-things. If you get me started talking about cars, it's going to be a long reply. So, yeah...
Anyhow...
Yes, there are six guitar parts. The studio version would be pretty hard to play in a live performance. Led Zeppelin never played it the same way in their concerts, as it'd have required more people.
There are all sorts of songs like that. They do a great job in the studio but then can't play the same thing in a live performance.
Then, you have bands like The Black Crowes. Their studio music is amazing (at times). Their live performances just plain suck. Do not go see them perform live.
While they're in the studio, they're playing with all sorts of alternative tuning. They'll often use different tuning for different parts of a song (in a studio). By the time this is a live performances, they're playing shitty renditions with guitars that aren't even in tune.
So, don't go see them live. I gave them two tries. I'll never see them live again. They sucked both times, with the second time being even worse.
Are you familiar with Eric Johnson's song Cliffs of Dover? Well, that was recorded part way with a Strat and the rest of it was recorded with a Gibson ES-335. They're two very different tones and the studio matched them up in production. So, the live version is never the same as the studio version because Johnson switched instruments mid-way through the song.
Most folks won't notice that. I noticed it and I'd get confirmation of this later on when he commented about it in a guitar magazine.
The internet is back up and running but not well. I can't even stream a video in 480p on YouTube.
I did get a feee bottle of wine and they've comp'ed our room service for yesterday and today.
I was polite but firm. I didn't raise my voice 'cause that's just not something I do. I explained the situation and explained that I don't like not getting that I paid for.
I could just move to a different hotel but it'd be a pain in the ass and I've already pre-paid until Monday. So, I'd have to deal with getting a refund to my credit card and the whole thing would be a pain in the ass.
Did you see the moron in the thread who asked if anyone played an 'actual' instrument like a 'piano'?
I think I shut themd own well enough. You might find my response amusing. I'm still in a foul mood and the lack of good internet isn't helping.
There's some racing I'd like to watch this weekend and it's on YouTube. They will have some of it on TV but then you get commercials interrupting the thing and that's annoying. I just log into my VPN and watch like I'm from another country (it's geo-blocked in the US due to TV broadcast agreements).
Hopefully, things will change. People will leave the hotel to go out to do stuff during the day. So, there will be fewer people using the 'net. Then again, I am assuming quite a few people have left the hotel already and it hasn't improved the situation all that much.
Seriously... A piano? The guitar is a much more complicated instrument to learn and master. You have a ton of complexity with a guitar that isn't there with the piano.
TheRealBuddha 1 point 4 hours ago
Yup. It means you can keep the music going in your head. It leaves it to your imagination. It's like ellipsis at the end of a sentence...
If I end on a single note that fades out, that's when I want there to be a clear cut. That's when I want the music to end. It's like a period at the end of a sentence.
At least that's how I kind of think of it.
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TheRealBuddha 0 points 4 hours ago
Just an FYI...
It's "a lot" and not "alot". That's not a word. There is a word called "allot" but that's a different word entirely.
That said, India is one of those places I've never been to. I want to go to northern India but that has yet to happen. The closest I've been would be Nepal or Pakistan. As for Pakistan, I was in the good section of Lahore but the rest of the city was fucking horrible. That's where there were people literally shitting in the street.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 1 day ago
I suppose it's sort of a matter of perspective and limited only to western (not country and western) music.
If you dive deep enough, you'll get into the microtonal realm. There are also some other ways of looking at music outside of the way we view it in the west. Music in the east doesn't fit our listening habits (more often than not) but is interesting in and of itself.
If you ever get the chance to play with a microtonal guitar, assuming you've not done so already, it'll either piss you off to no end or it will open up a bunch of new ways to think about music.
I find most folks that dive into a microtonal guitar give it up pretty quickly and resent their purchase.
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TheRealBuddha 2 points 1 day ago
I like to fade out while the music goes on. It leaves something on the table.
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TheRealBuddha 2 points 1 day ago
Have fun with it. It's D major, if you're curious.
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TheRealBuddha 2 points 1 day ago
I thought you might approve. LOL
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TheRealBuddha 3 points 1 day ago
Dinner is a bit late today, so I'll be a bit of a slacker and I'll return soon - probably...
So, this track is from early 2019. I don't really remember the motivation but I think it had something to do with using some classical techniques with the blues. Before you ask, yes it's just one guitar. No, it's not mixed with a 2nd guitar.
[Blues Improv (David only)](https://share.fngt.gq/music/blues/Blues%20Improv%20%28David%20only%29.mp3)
Damned right, I can play that. ;-)
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TheRealBuddha 0 points 1 day ago
I'm not sure if I'd trust anyone who can't spell a four-letter word properly.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 2 days ago
Yeah, that's gotta suck. LOL
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 2 days ago
That's another good word for the day.
The thing is, you can probably pay the $50,000 over (if it's a good spec) and then turn around and sell it for even more than that.
Eventually, this settles down and dealer prices drop. Depending on the vehicle, they may drop completely to the sticker price. They may drop even lower.
For example, someone paid $100,000 for a Tesla Cybertruck. They then auctioned it for almost $200,000.
The prices for the Cybertruck kept dropping and now you can buy them for less than $80,000. A used one is $65,000 - and the person spent at least $100,000 on it.
Well, retail prices are now at $80,000.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 2 days ago
They only raise the prices on cars that are in demand. On vehicles will little demand, they lower the price.
This has been going on for a while. They're marking the ZR1 up by $50,000+.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 3 days ago
It's fun even at slower speeds. Once you've learned the track, it's easier to pick up speed. You need to memorize the track to really go fast. A decision made in one corner can screw up your whole lap time, making you slow a half-dozen corners later. Knowing the optimal racing line is the key. A good race car driver will 'hit their marks' consistently. They'll be within an inch or two every lap, unless they're in traffic and need to pass someone.
We drove around to a couple of Chevy dealerships. Every Corvette on the lot was priced higher than sticker price as a 'dealer adjustment'. That includes the regular ol' C8. I refuse to pay more than sticker, but I'll happily pay the sticker price and pay it in cash. Well, put it on a credit card.
I'm not a huge Mustang fan, but the Dark Horse is of interest to me. I'd have to order it. I might do that and then it'll be here when I come back down. The Dark Horse isn't that powerful but it's fast and track focused.
So, there's that as an option.
I'll work on the C8 ZR1 when I'm back in Maine. I know some people, so I should be able to get it at the real price. I don't care how much I want a car. I will not pay more than sticker price for it. If they want to charge more than that, they can fuck off. I'll go without. There are a ton of great cars out there. I'll be fine without one of them.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 3 days ago
It's a ton of fun. It's also informative.
Plus, if you screw up and slam the car into the wall, it's not your car! If you look at the school's cars, they're usually pretty worn and rundown. You won't be the first person to slam it into a tire barrier. If you go fast enough, you might be the last person to crash it.
They're usually pretty aware of their legal liabilities. This means they'll have a proper roll cage and a safety harness that is within spec. That and school cars aren't generally all that fast. I mean, they're faster than many road cars but not fast for cars you'll take on track.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 3 days ago
Yeah, people damage their cars on track days with some regularity. It's going to happen if you're pushing to the limits of your ability. Not everyone out there is going to be smart about it.
This often ends up being a costly mistake. Technically, you can get your track car insured but it's expensive and is really just for liability. Your insurance will cover it if you take out someone else on the track.
This is why I often suggest taking classes. You can take classes and use the school's car on the track. This is actually more affordable. You spend a few hundred dollars getting lessons and a few hours on the track. Otherwise, you're buying a beat to hell Miata and spending $10,000 to get it to where it's worth driving on a track.
On top of that, you're learning. Many people, guys especially, think they'd be good at driving a race car on a track. After all, it doesn't look that hard and they have driven fast on the streets.
But, no... No, it's actually pretty difficult to drive on a track and to do it well. It's damned difficult. There's a reason why there are people who do it professionally. They do it because they're very good at it. They're exceptionally good at it. Today's professional drivers have often been competing since they were children.
So, getting some education is good. Going to racing schools will help you get that education and, more importantly, some practice. Then, you can find out (with time) if you really are any good at it. If you're any good at it, then take some more classes while saving up for a track car.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 4 days ago
It'll be open so long as there's no snow but it'll be pretty dormant. Some driving schools may have lessons and they may have open track days. The thing is, it'll be 'cold'. It won't be cold by my standards but it'll be cold for racing.
A cold track and cold tires mean less grip. Hot tires (to a point) get much better grip. Being able to scrub your tires will also increase grip.
Here's a funny misconception for you...
When drivers are behind the safety car (or doing warm up laps) they're not going back and forth to heat their tires. They're going back and forth to scrub their tires - that is to roughen up the surface a little, giving the slick tires more grip as they pick up speed.
No, they're warming their tires by stabbing the brakes as they're swerving back and forth. You stab the brakes to get heat in the tire as it radiates out from the brake assembly.
Scrubbing your tires is only going to raise the temps to maybe 180°. The brakes rapidly heat up to as high as 3,000°. So, the radiating heat gets into the tires more quickly by stabbing the brakes.
But, the track will be open, more or less. It just won't have much of anything going on. Some teams may be using the track for testing. They'll have some driving school activities, They'll have track days and days when the track's rented out to clubs.
However, you can't count on optimal conditions. You can never count on optimal conditions, but you're less likely to have optimal conditions in the winter. It rains and there's sometimes a bit of snow.
I'm hoping they let me do formal timing at said track. A lot of tracks strictly forbid formal timing outside of actual races. The reasoning is that you'll drive faster and take more risks if you're trying to beat a time. So, you don't mount a transponder in the car and you don't get formal timing. You're not even allowed to have someone sitting on pit lane using a stop watch to keep track of your time.
I suppose that it is sound reasoning and that they have empirical data to back it up. After all, it's fairly common across many tracks. If you're not in a sanctioned race (and licensed to be in that race) then there's no timing allowed during track days or even during many track rentals.
If you want to do timed laps, you'll need to do things like pay for emergency personnel to be on site and have insurance. The insurane isn't to cover your loss, it's to cover any damage you do to the track. That's how some of the clubs I belong to have it set up, that way we can have transponders and do timed laps.
I might just be a bit high right now. I may have bumped into someone in the hotel bar who was obviously sniffling more than they should be, given their condition. They might have had some pretty sweet marching powder for sale and a willingness to let me get some. I might have bought an 8 ball. I might have flown back to VA with it in my suitcase. It was not a commercial flight and it did not leave the US. So, there's no security. The TSA has no power there.
Which is, as you know, one of the motivations to avoid commercial flight. It's just too much of a hassle to fly commercial these days. Plus, flying on planes is just too common these days. Once upon a time, you dressed up and were on your best behavior if you were flying on an airplane. Responsible parents didn't bring crying and smelly babies onboard. You didn't have to arrive 1.5 hours early to make it through security - security theater, really.
Ah well...
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 5 days ago
Right on the cusp, 6 to 8 months. I may wait to go take delivery until a month or two later so that I can take advantage of the track time more fully and with better odds of good weather.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 5 days ago
She does indeed make delicious food. I ask her to cook now and then, but try not to do so too often. She usually volunteers, which is more my style of things.
We'll be back in VA on Wednesday. I submitted my order. I'll try to replicate it online so that you can see but we didn't do the order on the website but rather a back-end that I think is meant only for dealers and not the general public.
I have time to change my order, if I want. There's also some benefits to getting it delivered down here instead of back home. They've got like the Porsche Experience thing going on at a nearby track and they'll take you and your new car to the track. One of their professional drivers will do some coaching and you'll get to test your car out on a track.
It's a pretty sweet car, I hope. It's not too expensive with the trade-in.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 6 days ago
I was able to watch the race, which was alright by me. We then went out on the town for a bit, though I was a passenger. By that time, I was over the limit.
I'm still over the limit, which is nice. We had Mexican food for dinner. It was pretty good. I can't get good Mexican food back home. I can't get good ethnic food of any kind, really. The only solution is to drive to get something 'acceptable' (but not great) or to make it myself.
I do sometimes get my son's wife to make food.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 1 week ago
I have one bottle that's open on ice and breathing, and a couple more in the fridge.
I also have most of a 12 pack of beer that's actually two six packs of mixed beers from a local company called Bold Monk. The beer is for the race tomorrow. The wine is for tonight.
I doubt I'll drink it all tonight, but I like to be prepared.
Next weekend is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tomorrow is IMSA's 4 hour race in Ohio. I would like to drive on said track, but I don't really like Ohio. If you've got out of state plates, they will stop you and give you a ticket.
I've never had a ticket but I've had employees who have and I've known at least a dozen other people who got tickets in Ohio. They all had out of state plates. They are one of the few states where the police literally have a quota and must write x-amount of tickets per month.
Even though people think police have a ticket quota, that's actually rather rare. Ohio is straight up proud of the fact.
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TheRealBuddha 0 points 1 week ago
You can get some great tones from a Gibson hollow body (some spell it as one word). But, like all hollow bodied guitars, you need to be aware of feedback. Hollow and semi-hollow bodied electric guitars have that space inside where it all resonates. This leads to feedback pretty quickly.
You get used to it and learn to not face the amps when you're near them and to keep the strings muted when you need to. Otherwise, you get feedback that's tough to tame.
By the way, this is the 'Redneck Racetrack':
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_285_(Georgia)
My company actually did quite a bit of work for Georgia. The first project was sometime fairly early in my company's history. I want to say it was the early-90s when we did some modeling on said Redneck Raceway. We suggested that during peak traffic they would be wise to increase some areas to 10 lanes. Even though it would only be valuable during peak times, specifically during the hours around traditional commuting times, it would be beneficial by increasing throughput. It'd also be safer as those areas would have a variety of designations for the various slip roads around the place.
As I recall, they did about 80% of what we suggested and they'd eventually make the other changes.
They also had poor signage standards. We consulted on that, helping to create new standards for their highway department. In that case, I'd say they went a little overboard and ended up with more signs than necessary. You can still see the results of that. An easy example to spot is to drive along the highways and look at the side of the road as you approach an exit. They'll start placing signs very early and very often. This is unnecessary and can cause confusion.
People are easily overwhelmed when given too much information - and they're prone to ignoring things when they're fed a lot of information. If they see 10 signs saying there's an exit coming up, they'll stop paying attention to the signs - especially if the signs start well ahead of the exit.
Highway signs are fascinating.
Well, I realize that I'm in a very small group of people who thinks so. New York has some of the best signage.
There's everything from the color to the font, to the size and distance, and then there's the fascinating choice of fonts. All of those things go into how well highway markers and signs work.
I won't bore you with more of that. Suffice to say, I can talk about roads for a very long time. In fact, I've done just that. My company took all of those things, and more, into consideration. We'd validate the metrics and assign values to them. We'd then model that and make recommendations based on what we observevd and what we could predict.
Ah well...
You mentioned 'security'. Is that what you did at the time? Is that still what you do for a living?
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 1 week ago
Yeah, they're just a moron. It's okay. I left a reply that should either settle them down or piss them off.
I don't care which one it does but I'm hoping for the latter. I could use some amusement.
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TheRealBuddha 0 points 1 week ago
Thanks. I'll have to see about playing with Suno sometime in the near future.
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TheRealBuddha 2 points 1 week ago
I figured I'd at least entertain myself with the reply.
It's funny how people have such strong opinions on things they know nothing about. I have spent my lifetime learning, not just the guitar but many things. There are still things I don't know very well - so I don't have much of an opinion on those things.
I'm not sure why it's so hard for people to say the following:
"I am not qualified to hold an opinion."
If you're not qualified, don't opine. I will opine on matters I do understand but I'm quite comfortable admitting that there are things I just don't know.
I'll also happily say, "I don't have enough information to give you my thoughts on the matter. Let me spend some time learning about the subject and I'll get back to you."
Sadly, people like them not only vote but they also breed. Kids often end up a lot like their parents.
I'm also amused that they picked the piano. If you want a complicated instrument that is played like a piano, look at the old-fashioned pipe organs. (Which are awesome, for the record.) Even a modern organ is capable of being pretty complicated to play.
But, no... They picked the piano... The paino is one of the easiest instruments to learn. They might as well have picked the kazoo or harmonica.
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TheRealBuddha 0 points 1 week ago
Porsche's American HQ is here in Atlanta. I needed some service done, the scheduled 30,000 mile service.
Except, I'll be trading that in at this point. I managed to get an allocation for a GT3 RS and am working on the customization options over a few days. The existing 2015 GT3 RS (the one getting the service) is being traded in against the cost of the new one. They gave me a fantastic offer. They didn't want me to just pay in cash. They wanted to have the existing car for inventory.
Once I place the order, the car should be here in the US in 6 to 8 months. I've yet to place the order. I'll place the order with an initial configuration. I can change that configuration at any time up to 30 days before they start the build, but that's a hassle. I'd like to get it right the first time around.
And that's why I'm in Atlanta.
There's also the Redneck Racetrack. Basically, there are a number of cities that are 'Atlanta'. They're really different cities in one metro area.
Well, there's a ring road, a giant multi-lane highway that circles the city. If you go out at night, or early on a weekend morning, there's very little traffic and the cops do not care what you do, as long as you don't wreck. It's something fun to do with the loaner while I'm down here.
The loaner is just a 'poverty spec' 2024 911. It's still fun.
Also, I've never had my own custom ordered, brand new Porsche. The missus has a 2023 718 Boxter (fairly inexpensive and not a huge performance vehicle) but I have never owned my own new Porsche. I've cusstom ordered cars before but not from Porsche.
I'll also be ordering a new C8 ZR1 because they're awesome. They're also 'cheap' when you look at the features and performance you're getting. It's gasoline powered and RWD - but still can do 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds. They come with over 1,000 HP - from the factory.
I will definitely be ordering one. I didn't like the C4, C5, or C6 Corvette models that much. The C7 and C6 are amazing. They even have a good interior, which is surprising. No more cheap plastic all over the place.
Erf...
It's your fault. This is a long reply because you asked why I was here. I'm here for car-things. If you get me started talking about cars, it's going to be a long reply. So, yeah...
Anyhow...
Yes, there are six guitar parts. The studio version would be pretty hard to play in a live performance. Led Zeppelin never played it the same way in their concerts, as it'd have required more people.
There are all sorts of songs like that. They do a great job in the studio but then can't play the same thing in a live performance.
Then, you have bands like The Black Crowes. Their studio music is amazing (at times). Their live performances just plain suck. Do not go see them perform live.
While they're in the studio, they're playing with all sorts of alternative tuning. They'll often use different tuning for different parts of a song (in a studio). By the time this is a live performances, they're playing shitty renditions with guitars that aren't even in tune.
So, don't go see them live. I gave them two tries. I'll never see them live again. They sucked both times, with the second time being even worse.
Are you familiar with Eric Johnson's song Cliffs of Dover? Well, that was recorded part way with a Strat and the rest of it was recorded with a Gibson ES-335. They're two very different tones and the studio matched them up in production. So, the live version is never the same as the studio version because Johnson switched instruments mid-way through the song.
Most folks won't notice that. I noticed it and I'd get confirmation of this later on when he commented about it in a guitar magazine.
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TheRealBuddha 1 point 1 week ago
The internet is back up and running but not well. I can't even stream a video in 480p on YouTube.
I did get a feee bottle of wine and they've comp'ed our room service for yesterday and today.
I was polite but firm. I didn't raise my voice 'cause that's just not something I do. I explained the situation and explained that I don't like not getting that I paid for.
I could just move to a different hotel but it'd be a pain in the ass and I've already pre-paid until Monday. So, I'd have to deal with getting a refund to my credit card and the whole thing would be a pain in the ass.
Did you see the moron in the thread who asked if anyone played an 'actual' instrument like a 'piano'?
I think I shut themd own well enough. You might find my response amusing. I'm still in a foul mood and the lack of good internet isn't helping.
There's some racing I'd like to watch this weekend and it's on YouTube. They will have some of it on TV but then you get commercials interrupting the thing and that's annoying. I just log into my VPN and watch like I'm from another country (it's geo-blocked in the US due to TV broadcast agreements).
Hopefully, things will change. People will leave the hotel to go out to do stuff during the day. So, there will be fewer people using the 'net. Then again, I am assuming quite a few people have left the hotel already and it hasn't improved the situation all that much.
Seriously... A piano? The guitar is a much more complicated instrument to learn and master. You have a ton of complexity with a guitar that isn't there with the piano.
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